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America turns 240 on Monday. There will be cookouts, parties, fireworks and a spirit of celebration. Such was what the founders predicted upon the passing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelephia in July of 1776.

In fact, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail the following prophetic note in a letter after he put pen to paper on that historic document:

If you happened by Ray Jewell Memorial Park this past Saturday, you saw and heard something that’s becoming increasingly rare these days. The sounds of kids playing, the sights of kids running and jumping–all were on full display. The same sights are common at Waterford Park during the soccer season.

Thanks are in order to all the adults involved in all youth programs, whether they be sports, scouting, church-related or any other activities designed to get kids out of the house and involved.

June begins the Interim Period, a time during which legislators meet with their respective committees and monitor any issues within our scope. We also hear testimony and are informed on noteworthy topics that may require us to take action in future legislation. It is hard to believe that the 2017 session is only seven months away. Because it falls during an odd year, it will be a 30-day session that starts on Tuesday, January 3. It is already time, however, to prepare and discuss important issues facing the Commonwealth.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you to the teachers, administrators and bus drivers of Spencer County who go the extra mile day in and day out. Thank you for caring and giving of your time to making our students successful. Thank you for impacting and influencing the lives of our children. It starts with our pre-school program followed by kindergarten and goes all the way thru elementary, middle and high school. You truly make a difference. You are appreciated.

This weekend we honored the brave men and women who gave their lives for this great country. Originally referred to as “Decoration Day,” the holiday originated after the Civil War as Americans would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers each year. Following WWI it took on new significance and all of America’s wars were from then on included and observed in the holiday we now know as “Memorial Day”.

Many in the business community didn’t know what to expect when the 2016 General Assembly convened in early January. Gov. Bevin had just been sworn in a few weeks before after a contentious gubernatorial campaign, House Democrats were barely hanging on to their majority after several key appointments and party flipping by members, and there was a special election for four seats in the House that had the potential to shift the balance of power.

Large cities have a problem with violence. Whether it’s Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Miami or any other metropolis from sea to shining sea, American cities are among the most dangerous places you can live.

If you spend any time watching network or cable news, or perusing the mainstream media, you likely associate that violence with the presence of guns. The theme many push is that the more guns in a community, the more dangerous that place becomes.

Sometimes the most important lessons we learn at school do not take place in the classroom, nor are they gleaned from a textbook. In many instances, those defining moments occur in the hallways, the gyms, the athletic fields or, as evidenced this past weekend, on a stage.

That was the lesson Americans should have finally learned last week when the Obama administration handed down their decree from on high, forcing public schools to open restrooms and locker rooms to students according to the gender they happen to identify with that day.

This wasn’t merely a presidential suggestion or a recommendation, but the directive was accompanied by a threat to cut off federal funding to schools who dared not to comply.

The final week of the 2016 General Assembly was marked by the passage of a $21 billion spending plan for the two-year period beginning July 1, and it is being hailed as the most conservative budget the commonwealth has seen in a generation.

Governor Matt Bevin set the parameters for the state budget debate when he announced his proposed budget in January. He proposed major funding increases to Kentucky’s struggling pension systems and asked other areas of state government to participate in funding reductions.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As part of their senior projects, several seniors research an issue and submit a letter to the newspaper explaining their stand and what they’ve learned. We publish these unedited, as submitted.

Seems like the presidential election has been going on forever. Names like Trump, Sanders, Cruz and Clinton have dominated the news nearly every day for the past year, and we still have six months until we actually choose the next president.

Election fatigue may have set in, but that’s no excuse not to vote. Kentucky voters are set to go to the polls in two weeks for the May Primary, and there’s more at stake than just who heads to the White House.

Scars are visible reminders of tough times. They can be the product of rough play, stupid decisions, brave encounters, surgeries or accidents. Most of us who had typical childhoods may sport a few scars on our head, our legs, our arms or elsewhere, and retelling the story of their origin can be entertaining or enlightening to others, especially when we tell the stories to children.

The pace picked up in Frankfort following the 10 day veto period upon adjournment of the 2016 Regular General Assembly. On April 27, Governor Bevin issued several anxiously awaited veto statements on several pieces of legislation very important to Kentucky, including more than 30 items within the budget bill which will direct the Commonwealth’s spending priorities over the next two years.

Sometime in the very near future, the Blue Bridge that has carried motorists across the Salt River in Taylorsville for nearly eight decades will become just another memory.

Transportation officials announced recently that traffic could be crossing the new bridge, built adjacent to the Blue Bridge, in just a few days. Then crews will turn their attention to demolishing the old span.